BEREA: David Njoku is only 20 years old, but the Browns have made it clear they’ll lean on him and other young players to handle the tight end position.
After trading up to select Njoku 29th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, the Browns cut former Pro Bowl tight end Gary Barnidge on Friday.
“I’m going to do the same thing I would do even if he was here,” Njoku said Friday during an introductory news conference. “That’s just compete, just work really hard, and it’ll be all right.”
Njoku compiled 64 catches for 1,060 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons at the University of Miami before entering the draft as a redshirt sophomore.
“I’m 20 years old, so I think I’ll have a bunch of things to learn whether it’s like physical or mental,” he said. “I just feel like I have a really high ceiling that I can reach, and with the help of the coaches and hard work, I feel eventually I’ll get there.”
Barnidge, 31, bid farewell to Cleveland on Twitter after learning about the surprise move.
“I want to thank the Cleveland Browns for giving me my opportunity and looking forward to seeing the change,” he tweeted. “Time for the next step.”
Barnidge spent the past four seasons with the Browns and had a breakout year in 2015, when he caught 79 passes for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns to earn his first trip to the Pro Bowl. He signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension late in the season and was under contract through 2018.
His production dipped last season during coach Hue Jackson’s first year on the job, but he still finished second on the team with 55 catches for 612 yards and two touchdowns.
Barnidge used Twitter to welcome Njoku to the Browns and has a reputation as a leader and outstanding teammate who gives back to the community.
But rather than let Barnidge mentor Njoku, the Browns will move forward with a young group of tight ends led by Njoku, Seth DeValve, a 2016 fourth-round selection, and Randall Telfer, a 2015 sixth-round choice. Last season, DeValve had 10 catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns and Telfer had two catches for 4 yards.
“We’d like to thank Gary for all he has done for the Browns and the Cleveland community in his four seasons with our organization,” head of football operations Sashi Brown said in a news release. “He has been a fine representative of our team, and we wish him the best.”
On Thursday night, the Browns traded the first pick of the second round (No. 33) and the first selection of the fourth round (No. 108) to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for the 29th choice, which they used on Njoku, 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds.
“He has the ability to make plays down the field, and I think you can see that in a lot of his highlights,” Jackson said. “He makes contested catches. He can create separation from defenders. He has the ability to be an in-line blocker. He is a three-down tight end, and he play the Y. He can play the U. He has that kind of versatility.”
Bears pick Ashland player
The Chicago Bears selected Ashland University tight end Adam Shaheen in the second round with the 45th overall selection, making them 2-of-2 on players from Northeast Ohio. Thursday night they selected North Carolina quarterback and Mentor native Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick.
Last season, Shaheen caught 57 passes for 867 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns, the most in history for a Division II tight end.
Shaheen is the fourth player to be drafted from Ashland and the first since Jeris Pendleton in 2012. Former Ashland defensive lineman Jamie Meder plays for the Browns.
Buckeyes drafted
Three more Ohio State players were selected on the second day of the draft. Buckeyes H-back Curtis Samuel went in the second round with the 40th overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, and linebacker Raekown McMillan was chosen by the Miami Dolphins with the 54th overall pick.
OSU center Pat Elflein went to the Minnesota Vikings in the third round with the 70th overall selection.
More from draft
• Browns greats Jim Brown and Josh Cribbs announced the team’s second- and third-round choices, respectively.
• The New England Patriots selected Youngstown State defensive end Derek Rivers in the third round with the 83rd overall pick.